Cult Monuments of Western Kazakhstan in the Works of Domestic Researchers

Abstract

This article is devoted to the study of historical, cultural and cult monuments of the Aral-Caspian region in the works of domestic scientists. The Aral-Caspian region, including Western Kazakhstan, the Mangyshlak demi-island and the Ustyurt plain, the North Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea, is the ethnocultural center of the people of the Eurasian steppes. The architectural monuments of Western Kazakhstan have attracted the attention of travelers and researchers since ancient times. In the works of medieval researchers who visited the Aral-Caspian region, special attention was paid to the cult monuments in this area. At the beginning of the 18th century, the works of researchers of the Russian Empire and Western Europe contained information about the historical and cultural monuments of the region. Among them are such researchers as P.I. Rychkov, P.S. Pallas, I.P. Falk, S.G. Gmelin, N.P. Rychkov. In the 40–50s of the twentieth century, famous Kazakh scientists began to study the memorial and cult monuments of this area. Famous Kazakh architects T.K. Basenov and M.M. Mendikulov investigated the cult monuments of Ushkyn ata, Sisem ata, Shopan ata, Masat ata in the territory of Western Kazakhstan. The main scientific works of the scientist S.E. Azhigali were devoted to the study of traditions and culture, ethnography and architectural monuments of the AralCaspian region, West Kazakhstan region. The article highlights the main research work of these scientists, their contribution to the study of the cult monuments of the Aral-Caspian region, and their scientific discoveries.